Mal
Appearance During his time outside of Seireitei Mal discovered the benefits of a good piece of armor, and to this day continues to use armor, conservatively. Mal stands 6 feet tall with short brown hair and deep blue eyes. Normally Mal wears very untraditional clothing, unless demanded by ceremony. His normal attire is a close fitting black shirt, loose, long black pants. At the waist a lighter, but still quite dark, grey sash is wrapped 4 times around around Mal's waist and used to hold various items in it's layers (Pills such as the squad 4 energy items and surveillance equipment). Black tactical boots with soft soles to eliminate sound go almost halfway to his knees but are lost under the loose cuff of his pants. On his right thigh there are two straps, one high and one low, securing the sheathe for Myaku Seijaku. Over the black long sleeve shirt Mal wears an armored chest piece. The armor is mat black and thin, but provides substantial protection from attacks made with bare hands or lower level kido. Both shoulders are armored, the left more significantly moving fully down the upper arm, leaving the elbow bare and covering the forearm and terminating in a light gauntlet. This armor generally serves for mid level (effectiveness not, height) defensive blocking. On the right, for enhanced range of motion, the armor is less prominent, terminating just over the shoulder but including a forearm piece to allow minimal use in blocking there. An armored spine completes the protective clothing. (All armor is minimal and designed in such a way to allow freedom of movement along with minimal protection from damage to vital organs). Mal recently learned the true name of the second spirit residing in his Zanpakuto and upon recovering and returning to get the blade where it had been left there was a second, identical blade laying next to the first. During the episode with Torasuto inside his inner world Mal was injured quite severely and he armor in Seireitei was damaged beyond repair. Deciding that a change was in order if he was to fight with two blades Mal commissioned a new suit of armor. The new armor has a very light underplate on the chest and on that flexible chainmail esque coating there are thicker armor plates (thicker than before) molded to match his muscular physique beneathe. The chest piece is formed as a vest and stops at the joint of his shoulders (it does NOT zip up lol). His arms are covered in the same tight chainmail type armor to the elbow with a thin armor plate covering his shoulders and upper arms. On either forearm is an arm guard that terminates just above his wrist. Mal's back is protected by similar plates and a spinal protector. Ever plate is painted flat black and outlined in the deep green color that his reiatsu is by nature. On the right breast the armor bears the sigel of the 3rd Squad, thusly Mal carries it into battle proudly declaring his allegiance. Mal also received a matching molded sheathe for his second blade. Still unsure about the new ambience of fighting with a second blade he is still using only one when possible. Mal is using Torasuto on his right hip in order to grow closer with the blade and will only draw Danketsu when the situation becomes truly dire. Since returning from the World of the Living Mal wears multiple piercings and leaves his hair much longer than before. Having gotten used to the lack of oversight when he was on the mission he hasn't done away with the jewlery or the unruly hair. Each of the earings he wears signifies a kill made when in the world of the living, except for 2. Mal wears an ear cuff on the top of his left ear which is to remind him of an unknown Shinigami who was killed by a roaming hollow while he was unable to assist. Mal killed the hollow, but wears the cuff not to remind him of the kill, but the carelessness that cost the other Shinigami his life. The other is the black cross in his right ear. Mal was saved from a group of hollow when a Quincy, whom he never met, fired from range and destroyed 6 of the 7 hollows leaving Mal with a fair fight. Mal has vowed that he will wear that earing until he meets the Quincy that saved him and can properly make ammends. Mal's appearance changed slightly upon gaining his Bankai. He no longer uses his armor in any form. Mal wears loose black pants tucked into the top of combat boots, a dark grey sash (wrapped 4 times around his waist) and a black compression shirt. The right breast of the compression shirt bears the insignia of the squad that Mal represents and on his collar he wears a lacquered pin, representing his membership in "The Hammer of the Gotei." The back of the shirt bears the traditional number, showing his rank as Captain of the 6th. Armor Mal's armor has gone through a few varients. It started as very light armor which was good for very little other than making him look mean, and differentiating him from the other Shinigami. The second set of armor was obtained after his first evolution with his Zanpakuto. A new design was used to give greater protection on his chest and back but allow more freedom of movement for his dual wielding. This set was destroyed by Hiroku. The third set was almost identical to the second, the plating was a bit thicker in the hope that the greater protection would prevent the same sort of damage that had done in the second set. This was also destroyed by Hiroku. Fed up with replacing his armor every month Mal went to Squad 12 and obtained some of an experimental metal that could channel reiatsu in order to increase the strength of the metal. After getting his hands on the ore Mal went to Lorcian's former LT at his private forge. They struck an agreement and the ore was forged into the armor Mal now wears. Thin plates of treated metal cover his torso, his arms and his shoulders. Thinner than even the second set this armor allows for freedom of movement and protection from damage. One design element was kept from the previous armor versions, the green marking on the flat black metal covering his abs that was just above his scar of the same color. After acheiveing his Bankai Mal no longer wears his armor in order to have unrestricted movement. Personality While knowing his ensemble can be intimidating Mal always has a ready smile and a joke. When not in the field 9 times out of 10 Mal can be found lounging around at the local bar with friends, or training. On the rare occasion that he is not in one of these places he's likely at the highest point in Seireitei, The Penitence Cell, looking out over the movements of the 13 Squads and relishing the silence and solitude that can be found there. Mal is not quick to anger, but has a smouldering temper. When angered Mal tends to play harmless pranks on people, hiding in silence and shadow and springing traps on the unwary. When necessary Mal can, and will, kill or die to protect the friends he has made. After raising himself in a lonely existence, and tasting that loneliness again after his graduation from the academy Mal has no desire to ever be without friends again. History "Mal" grew up on the streets of the Rukongai traveling from district to district as the whim took him. After arriving in Soul Society he was alone for a long time prior to even locating the Rukongai. Later he would learn that an attack had interrupted his "Soul Sleep" in the real world and caused him to be deposited at random instead of in one of the planned locations. With no memories of his time in the WOL he chose a name for himself, something simple, and set to defending himself in a world full of danger for a child. During these times he found that he had an affinity for going unnoticed. Using this natural ability Mal began to move around in the richer districts as a pick pocket and eventually, as he aged, taking jobs as a thief. Mal was easily able to amass significant funds and live in relative comfort hiring out his skills as a young man. However all good things must end and during one of these jobs he was captured by, then LT of squad 2 Makato Kiyoshi. Noticing his abnormally high spirit pressure and natural affinity for stealth and infiltration type missions he asked that his sentence, 250 years in the Maggot's Nest, be commuted and he be entered into the Academy for training as a Shinigami. Shortly after entering the Academy Mal was drawn to other members of his class, finally able to stay near people without his strength sapping theirs he became quick friends with many of his classmates. Mal excelled in study of Kido and sword tactics as well as information gathering. During the upheaval in Soul Society when many others disappeared Mal took a leave from the Academy...or more accurately, went looking for the "traitors". During his time outside Seireitei Mal was forced to defend himself from attack by other Souls that had strayed from the Rukongai and attempted to pray on weaker Souls. It was during this time that he discovered the name and ability of his partner, his Zanpakuto, Myaku Seijaku. Using the ability to mask the sound of his passing the search was able to progress more quickly, but still yielded little in the way of results. After a time Mal discovered the training areas that appeared to have been heavily used in the past but which were, amazingly, equipped with a regen pool. Unable to locate any sign of the traitors and knowing that the search may have had more luck elsewhere Mal returned to Seireitei in order to join a squad and with the hope of protecting his friends, and of preventing a further upheaval. Mal was allowed to join the 10th Squad as 3rd seat and served for a time under Captain Flamingo. An urgent, long term surveilance mission required his skills and Mal left, reluctantly for a time. The details of the mission required him to relinquish his position within Seireitei completely. After the loss of contact with Captain Flamingo, fearing a catastrophe Mal return to Seireitei to offer his services whereever they could be used. Recently while training to gain a more profound bond with his Zanpakuto Mal finally learned the true name of the second spirit in his Zanpakuto. He gained a second blade which he wears on his left thigh mirror image of the first. His abilities remained the same after this addition, the only minor change being that while wielding both blades he can load kido into either blade by holding the opposite blade over it in place of his empty hand. 'Zanpakuto' Shikai Form: http://imgur.com/o6HQTIf Bankai Form: Spirit's Form, (ish): http://imgur.com/e6jmYHH Inner World: A desolate street in an old west town. There is a Saloon where Gaibun can be found drinking Sake and listening to a piano that he himself is playing by fluctuating his reishi. Shikai Release: While drawing his scimitar Mal whispers "Light penetrates all shadow" (hikari kantsuu ooru anei) Powers and Abilities Shunpo Master of tactics and sneak attacks Mal has mastered a form of active meditation known as "The Flame and The Void" or "The Oneness" which allows him to distance his conscious mind from his emotions and from physical factors such as pain, heat, or cold. Generally happy personality Able to fight well in a group Quickly able to understand allies abilities and assist with the development of high level strategies Limited ability to fight using both of his shorter blades |- | |} Statistics Category:Shinigami Category:Seireitei Category:Captains